derives from fear of loss—loss of money, love, position,
power. The ability to live an honest life is based upon a
deep connection to spirit. When inner fullness predomi-
nates, you lose the need to manipulate, obscure, or
deceive. Honesty is the intrinsic state of a person living a
life of integrity. According to yoga, life-supporting, evo-
lutionary behaviors are the natural consequence of
expanded awareness.
The fifth Yama, generosity, or aparigraha, derives from
the shift in internal reference from predominantly
ego-based to predominantly spirit-based. A yogi who
knows that his essential nature is nonlocal spontaneously
expresses generosity in every thought, word, and action.
Constricted awareness reinforces limitations. Expanded
awareness generates abundance consciousness. This
Yama implies the absence of aversion. Established in
aparigraha, your attachment to the accumulation of
material possessions loses its hold on you. It doesn’t
mean you don’t enjoy the world; you are simply not
imprisoned by it. The practice of yoga, which cultivates
expanded awareness, awakens generosity because nature
is generous.
The Second Branch of Yoga—Niyama
The second limb of yoga as outlined by Patanjali is
Niyama, traditionally interpreted as the “rules of personal
behavior.” We see them as the qualities naturally
expressed in an evolutionary personality. How do you
live when no one is looking? What choices do you make
when you are the only witness? The Niyamas of yoga
encourage
The Royal Path to Union 35